Refused admission to hospitals, van-puller approaches West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee for help

A 32-year-old accident victim was denied admission to several hospitals in Kolkata on the pretext of unavailability of beds. It was only after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s intervention that he was finally admitted to a popular hospital in the city, the victim’s family claimed. According to reports, the patient, Sahadul Alam, had met with an accident on September 18. He was taken to Birpara State General Hospital, from where he was referred to North Bengal Medical College and then to SSKM Hospital.

Bablu Rehman, the van puller’s neighbour, said that the SSKM Hospital administration refused to admit his friend citing there were no beds available for him. They had to go to NRS Hospital in Sealdah and faced the same excuse.

“NRS told us that they too had no bed. We went back to SSKM, from there we were sent to Samhunath Pandit Hospital. Within 10 minutes, they informed us no bed was available, and if we were okay with keeping the patient on the floor, they would start treatment. We went to SSKM again, and then to Chittaranjan National Medical Hospital, where again we couldn’t get a bed. We then came back to SSKM, and kept our patient in a car from morning 3 am till 8 am,” he told The Indian Express.

Left with no option, the family went to meet Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at her residence. Rehman added that though they could not meet her, the CM came to know about it and Alam got an air-conditioned bed in SSKM Hospital within just 40 minutes.

Rehman lamented that one had to approach the CM to get treatment. He also questioned the hospitals’ claim of being denied admission on the pretext of unavailability of beds.